Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 AMD EPYC and Threadripper Cooler Review

Our Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 review is the third review in our Noctua AMD EPYC and Threadripper cooler series. We first reviewed the Noctua NH-U14S TR4-SP3 which is an ultra-high performance large 140mm cooler. We then reviewed the Noctua NH-U9 TR4-SP3 which is the smallest of the three. Now we are taking a look at the middle solution, the Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 which provides a middle ground in terms of physical size and performance.

Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 Key Specifications

As with our other reviews, we are going to take a look at the Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 cooler’s key specifications first. The NH-U12S TR4-SP3 uses a large heatsink that is very much like the NH-U14S, but slightly smaller in size. In the world of coolers, physical space is a concern and there are simply cases that will not fit the larger 140mm heatsink making the 120mm size unit a logical next choice.

Noctua NH U12S TR4 SP3

Here are the key specs of the Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3:

Noctua NH U12S TR4 SP3 Specifications

At 158mm the cooler is still tall but saves 7mm versus the 140mm option. In terms of width, at 125mm it is 25mm more compact versus the NH-U14S. What is very interesting is that the weight without fans is 170g lighter while the weight with fans is listed at only 160g lighter which would make the 140mm fans lighter than the 120mm fans. For shipping and general PCB health, lighter heatsinks can provide an advantage.

We also note that the U12S has five heat pipes compared to U14S with six heat pipes.

Noctua NH U12S TR4 SP3 Angle View

The U12S uses Noctua’s NF-F12 120mm PWM fan which fits the size of the U12S.

Noctua NH U12S TR4 SP3 Installed

Here we see the U12S mounted on our test platform. With our GPU installed, we found no clearance issues with the U12S. This allows a better front to back chassis airflow that many high-end workstation scenarios demand.

Noctua NH U12S TR4 SP3 Installed Side View

The Noctua NH-U12S width is such that we had no clearance issues with our RAM modules. Also, there is plenty of space for a second fan. While the NH-U14S is much larger, the NH-U12S has easier proportions to deal with.

We run our tests using AIDA64 Stress Test with fan speed profiles set to Auto and Full Speed and then with the processor at idle.

The first cooler we used on our platform was the Thermaltake Water 3.0 Ultimate AIO; this is a triple rad cooling unit. We entered it here to see how the new Noctua TR4-SP3 coolers would stand up to a top end AIO for Threadripper.

Noctua U9 U12S U14S TR4 Temperature Tests

The three new TR4-SP3 air coolers from Noctua perform very well considering how hot these processors can get under full load. At idle loads, we find the Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 was at 30C is perfectly acceptable. Setting AIDA64 to stress test mode we see that the Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 maintained 67-68C with both Auto and Full speeds for the fan. This is slightly better than the smaller dual fan NH-U9 result while using a single fan.

Conclusion

Now that we have tested three different Noctua TR4-SP3 coolers for AMD EPYC and Threadripper we see the Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 as the Goldilocks cooler. It is not too big like we found the NH-U14S to be in some situations. It is not too small like we found in the NH-U9 that is designed for constrained 4U scenarios. Instead, it is the middle ground providing slightly better cooling performance than the NH-U9 while still requiring a single fan and having an easier to deploy form factor than the NH-U14S.

Noctua has done an outstanding job with the fans used on these coolers, as is the company’s hallmark. At around $70 for a hunk of metal and a fan, you are paying for that quality. Another way to look at it is that this is less expensive than a water cooling solution normally used on Threadripper workstations. These are also much quieter than typical AMD EPYC server cooling solutions.

Overall, we really like the dimensions and performance of the Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 cooler, and can easily recommend it for workstation style deployments.

REVIEW OVERVIEW

Design & Aesthetics

9.7

Performance

9.4

Feature Set

9.4

Value

9.2

SUMMARY

Our Noctua NH-U12S TR4-SP3 review finds an AMD EPYC and Threadripper air cooler that has excellent performance, fit, and finish making it a great option for workstations and servers housed in workstation cases

3 COMMENTS

Used this cooler with an EPYC 7281 and Supermicro H11SSL-i ATX motherboard. Seems the Noctua fan runs at too low of RPM (even without low noise adapter) for the Supermicro “Optimal” fan speed setting. Great cooler otherwise, but had to replace the fan with one from a CoolerMaster Hyper 212 X that I wasn’t using. Shame I wasn’t able to use the well-engineered Noctua fan (without changing fan speed thresholds), but the CoolerMaster Hyper series fans are surprisingly good for the money. Hope this is helpful for anyone looking to use this with an EPYC CPU and Supermicro motherboard.